Hosea is called

Day 1 Know the Lord

We read in Hosea 4:6a
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Let’s start our study here. Hosea was called by God for a specific time and a specific place. He was called to be a living example of God’s love to a people that had forgotten all about their Lord. God says that their destruction was coming because of their lack of knowledge. What was the knowledge that they have seemed to have forgotten? Let’s look at a few of the verses in Hosea that deal with this problem.

Fill in the blanks:
Hosea 4:1
Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness or¬¬¬______________of God in the land.

Hosea 2:8
“For she does not ¬¬¬¬_________that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine and the oil, And lavished on her silver and gold, Which they used for Baal

Hosea 5:4
Their deeds will not allow them To return to their God. For a spirit of harlotry is within them, And they do not ________ the LORD.

Hosea 6:6
For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the __________________ of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 7:9
Strangers devour his strength, Yet he does not __________ it; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, Yet he does not ___________ it.

Hosea 11:3
Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in My arms; But they did not _________ that I healed them.

Hosea 13:4
Yet I have been the LORD your God Since the land of Egypt; And you were not to__________any god except Me, For there is no savior besides Me.

So using these verses as a clue to the Israelites problems what do we see? First of all, they had forgotten who had blessed them in the first place. They were giving credit for their times of prosperity to the gods that the Canaanites had worshipped in the land before they came there. These were gods of fertility and the harvest and natural conditions, such as rain and sunshine. They were in essence taking the good things that the Lord God had given them and then and going and sacrificing these very things to the idols they had constructed. God called this spiritual adultery, because it would be like a wife enjoying what her husband had given to her as far as food, clothing and jewelry and then going to another man and thanking him for all she had by having sex (intimacy) with him instead of her husband.

Take a moment to write down any thoughts you may have about these verses and what spiritual adultery looks like. As we study further, it will be good to come back and look at what you have written here to see if there are any changes.
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Let’s take a look at the definition The New Bible Dictionary has:
KNOWLEDGE. The Gk. ideal of knowledge was a contemplation of reality in its static and abiding being; the Heb. was primarily concerned with life in its dynamic process, and therefore conceived knowledge as an entry into relationship with the experienced world which makes demands not only on man’s understanding but also on man’s will.
The New Bible Dictionary goes on to give examples from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. If you have time, look up knowledge, understanding, and know (yada in Hebrew). You can find access to Bible dictionaries at websites such as biblegateway.com, bible.org, crosswalk.com, etc. Are you beginning to see the difference between our western idea of knowledge and the Biblical idea. In American Christianity I have heard it explained this way before. “I know in my head what the truth is, but it has not reached my heart”. This is usually said by someone that knows the Lord wants them to do or feel something but they have not. They usually feel that they will eventually have this truth reach their heart.

Think for a moment. Have you ever felt that way? Maybe you knew you were supposed to forgive someone who had hurt you, you may have even said the words, but you knew in your heart you had not forgiven them. According to the Hebrew way of thinking, you really did not KNOW this truth at all. You just had an idea that it was so.

Write down an example of something that is true but you do not yet fully know.
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Take time to pray:
Lord, I am beginning to realize that I thought I knew what I was supposed to do but I am not allowing your knowledge to be a part of my heart and soul as well as my mind. I see now that is just an excuse to not obey your word to me. Jesus, I repent (am sorry) of this attitude and ask that your Holy Spirit would lead me in all knowledge of you and your ways. Just as I long to love you with my whole heart, body, soul, spirit and strength, I also want to have that intimate knowledge of you in all areas of my life.


Now take time for some positive praise. Write down some things that you know that you know that you know about the Lord God. If you need inspiration go to the Psalms.

I will start: (you can add to this list as more things are brought to mind throughout this study)
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you created the heavens and the earth.
I know that Jesus is God.
I know that the only way to God the Father is through Jesus.
I know that God’s plan will never fail.
I know that you created me uniquely and that I am called to follow you.
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